South Branch intelligencer. [volume] (Romney, Va. [W. Va.]) 1830-1896, 1887-09-02

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Keno Il . popular Rame simplv h..
ceose y y % rapid and 90 Cheap A
teo cents chance almost anv ona 80
play. Keno 10 just the game for Month.
and the practical gambler despise.
socn small business; besides this. he
can go with half IN eve that the
cnauccs Are usually heavy srain.t fhs
player. Thus il in faro the bank h.s
su out OF ten, in keno IL has seven or
eight II NAV be readily seen that
Keno holes vii abound in Q great citv-
ana IN some localities they NAV he
found aide by side in great arrav
Among the devotees of keno are often
found students from the country Who
nave come TO attend lectures. They
are ln some cases supported by Tho
seif-denying economy of parents and
esen sisters. and could the latter be-
hold the object of their affection
squandering his money at the Keno
tab'e, how great would be the AGONY
IL 3 well that 80 painful q spectacle Il
spare. taem. As for faro. the term !,
AZ abbreviation OF Pharaoh, whose
isce was formerly on one of the cards.
The leading player is called the ~pun-
Ter, and this Ii suggested by Popes
lines:
Wretch that am, Row often have I swore
when winncll Tailed would punt no more:
Know the bait. yet TO my ruin run.
ana soc the folly which can rot shun
Speaking OF the times of Pope, re-
Gently opened an old volume of the
Gcnhtnan's Magazine and read the
following description of the game as it
was once played century aud half
ago:
First, an operator who deals the
cards for the purpose of cheating; also
two crowpers lcroupier) who watch the
cards and gather the money for the
bank Then there are two ~puffs, who
have money given them to play with
and thus decoy others to try; also a
bully. who is to fight any gentleman
who IS peevish at losing his money.
Then there is the Waterman who walks
up and down and alarms the house on
the approach of constable"
Such is the brief statement of gam
ing IN London in the days of Pope.
Hogarth gives very powerful scene in
gaming house, being a part of the
"Rake's PROCESS. How many rakes
have been ruined since then is beyond
all calculation.
Cards are supposed to be of Asiatic
origin. Cnlnese cards have three suits,
each of nine cards. 1t is supposed that
they were introduced into Europe by
Arabs and Saracens before the thir-
teenth century. The first historic ref
erence is found in Augsburg, whose
records give the fact that in 1875 King
Rudolph amused himself with game
Mt cards. The most eminent card man.
facturer in France in the sixteenth CEN
fury was Vato, and soon afterward the
business was established in England. It
is said that the marks in the suits of
cards were intended to represent four
classes in society-hearts representing
the clergy, spades (from spada, a sword)
the nobility, diamonds the citizens, and
clubs the serfs. There ought to be one
more especially to represent the dupes.
The most famous of London gamblers
was Crockford, whose she'll" sometimes
witnessed the exchange of half million
sterling in one night. Byron says that
be was asked by an acquaintance where
he, the latter, woald be found after
death. The poet promptly replied in
silver hell. which was apopular gaming
resort of that day. Byron says he mar
rowly escaped a challenge for his keen
retort.-HarUOrd Post.